DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 646 Original 2018 Regular Session Terry Landry
Abstract: Modifies the definition of a "certificate of destruction" by clarifying that a vehicle that
sustained water damage during a gubernatorially declared disaster or emergency was flooded
and the flooding was the proximate cause of the vehicle damage.
Present law defines "certificate of destruction" as a type of certificate of title issued by the office of
motor vehicles for a "water-damaged vehicle" other than an antique vehicle or a vehicle in excess
of twenty thousand pounds gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), whose power train, computer, or
electrical system has been damaged by flooding as the result of a gubernatorially declared disaster
or emergency and that is a "total loss" as defined in present law. Also requires the certificate of
destruction be reassignable a maximum of 2 times prior to dismantling or destructing the vehicle.
Proposed law retains present law and adds that the flooding from the gubernatorially declared
disaster or emergency must be the proximate cause of the water damage sustained by the vehicle.
(Amends R.S. 32:702(5))